Piano Sonata No. 1 in E Major

My first piece since Os Lusíadas, a piano sonata with the 1st movement completed. This is perhaps the form I'm going to use...

1 - Adagio Giocoso - Presto Agitato (completed)

2 - Minuet and Variations (Theme done)

3 - Adagio (some ideas)

4 - Concluding fast movement (no idea :angry:)

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1. Techniques used/Inspiration/Goal of composition (Is it a study? A piece for children? A romance for a woman? A fantasy?)

I'm not a pianist, so some of what I wrote may be impossible or too hard. Overall I used a VERY distorted Sonata Form structure, with an introduction (the amazing contrast between the two sections and the lenght of the intyroduction leave me to think that the movement has actually two parts of more or less equal importance.) My inspiration was the virtuosic and tenebrous piano pieces we sometimes hear, which serve as showoffs for the pianist. The goal? Not to leave the pianists sad for writing nothing for them :angry:

2. How long it took to compose the piece

This movement was completed in a little less than 2 hours, 90 minutes yesterday and some 15 minutes today.

3. Structure of your piece

A distorted version o0f sonata form, with no development (intyroducing iunstead a new idea) and concluding with the second theme in the tonic key (E minor.) It also has a first part in E Major, with lasts around 2 minutes (the entire movement is about 5 minutes and a half.)

4. Obstacles when composing

I found myself struggling to get decent themes, an objective I did not acchieve, yet use a structure other than free form, which I think I suceeded.

5. Summary of overall piece

ADAGIO GIOCOSO - A simple left hand accompained by a free moving and somehwta more modern sounding melodic line in the RH.

PRESTO AGITATO - The name pretty much defines the mood. Quick and stormy, in E minor.

Anyway, enjoy and if you hear, please leave a little comment, if you don't have time for more :excl:

Sonata_in_E_Major___Adagio_Giocoso_and_Presto_Agitato___1st_mov.mid.mid

Good stuff overall. But the volume differences between some of the dynamics you use are very extreme. The very quiet sections are practically inaudible and the loud sections are very loud indeed. Because you often have terraced dynamics with the music going from loud to soft and back again very suddenly, the piece sounds a little disjunct in places.

I don't think your themes are that weak. There is was one melody for me which stood out and was memorable. Your melodies at the very start weren't quite as good as the ones you use later one, though. You should watch out for repeating too many notes and forming 4th/5th intervals between the melody and accompaniment.

Good stuff overall. But the volume differences between some of the dynamics you use are very extreme. The very quiet sections are practically inaudible and the loud sections are very loud indeed. Because you often have terraced dynamics with the music going from loud to soft and back again very suddenly, the piece sounds a little disjunct in places.

Thank's a lot for your comment Mike :angry:. Yes, the dynamics were intended, but my software has huge contrasts between dynamics. I should fix that. Yes, I too agree it sounds quite bad.

I don't think your themes are that weak. There is was one melody for me which stood out and was memorable. Your melodies at the very start weren't quite as good as the ones you use later one, though. You should watch out for repeating too many notes and forming 4th/5th intervals between the melody and accompaniment.

I suck at harmony, so I really should improve some of it, like in the second theme. And may I wonder what was that melody that stood up for you? :excl:

Thanks a loy! Keep 'em comming, people! :angry:

Very nice piece. I liked it alot. I can't wait for the other movements :angry:

I think it's very difficult (if not impossible) to actually play it...

But the piece in itself is great, good job! :angry:

Thanks for the comment, Miguel :angry:

(Now you're really naughty, aren't you? 15 downloads and 2 comments. :angry:)

It was great to hear this piece 3/4 complete and now fully complete. Very much improved since my last listen! ;)

I still believe it to be impossible at places, but I've already told you that!!

I love the themes you used. You are improving a lot. And your style is quite nice.

Can't wait until the other movements. Great work!

Do you enjoy Rage over the Lost penny????

I MUST KNOW!

sorry for this being a bit of a bad review.

Do you enjoy Rage over the Lost penny????

I MUST KNOW!

sorry for this being a bit of a bad review.

Lol, never heard it ;)

Hi!

Alright I've just finished listening to this a few times so I offer you my thoughts (bluntly as usual);

The beginning pretty much sucks compared to the rest of it. The first 2 minutes were uninteresting and lacked the coherence of the later parts, they were less musical and sounded more amateurish than what I would have liked to hear.

From there on though - whoa - all of a sudden it's a different piece. You bring in kick-donkey melodies and wonderful energy and you put them together to create a very entertaining and frantic feeling. My only gripe with this part has already been mentioned but I feel this is a point that should stick so I'll reiterate; if you tried to make this piece playable, you failed. Having said that, if you just meant it for listening then it's perfectly fine, just know that the piece is extremely difficult to play at the speed given.

Overall I feel that this is a brilliant extension of your talent and a showcase of your improvements in composition. It's also a good development piece for your writing style, which is starting to sound a bit like mine! :P Good work, keep it up and watch for the things I mentioned above.

Keep it up! :D

Thanks, Marius: yes, I've been told many times of the impossibility of the piece :D. However, I don't expect this to be performed.

C'mon, people! 47 downloads and 5 listeners who cared to comment?

Anyway, enjoy and if you hear, please leave a little comment, if you don't have time for more.

VERY GOOD!!!!!!! I hate to say it, but although the beginning was good, it was a bit boring. :( But as soon as the Presto started it was awesome. I loved all of your melodies. Oh, and also, I thought the ending was a bit sudden. Anyway........ Wonderful piece, excellent job. :)

-William

VERY GOOD!!!!!!! I hate to say it, but although the beginning was good, it was a bit boring. :( But as soon as the Presto started it was awesome. I loved all of your melodies. Oh, and also, I thought the ending was a bit sudden. Anyway........ Wonderful piece, excellent job. :)

-William

Thanks, William :) the beginning is a little boring, yes, but ic you're one of those people who seemed to have a paid quite some attention to the melodies, which I consider a bit weak :P. The ending was sudden because stupid Mozart 8 won't play stupid fermatas :(

Here's the lil Andante, 2nd mov :happy:

Sonata_in_E_Major__Andante__2nd_mov.mid

Here's the lil Andante, 2nd mov :happy:

No comments on this? :happy:

Awesome second movement. I thought all of your ideas were thought out. The only thing I have to say is when you get to the fastER part towards the end, those arpeggios awritten a little weirdly. Did you intend for those to be rythmically changed (as in syncopation) or is my computer going wack... It doesn't matter, It would probably sound good both ways. Also, the first movement was good. I am not going to critique it because everything I would have said has already been said.

Good piece. Keep it up.

Awesome second movement. I thought all of your ideas were thought out. The only thing I have to say is when you get to the fastER part towards the end, those arpeggios awritten a little weirdly. Did you intend for those to be rythmically changed (as in syncopation) or is my computer going wack... It doesn't matter, It would probably sound good both ways. Also, the first movement was good. I am not going to critique it because everything I would have said has already been said.

Good piece. Keep it up.

darn it, Marius, you took mine!! :). I feel like I'm in grade 2 :D.

Hate the beginning, LOVE the rest. Marius summed it up exactly.

Thank you Nico, flattered to hear that from you :P yes, the beginning's kinda crappy, I just wanted contrast :P

About the 1st Mvmt:

I liked the first half. Started out a bit monotonous in the bass and in dynamics, but it was still good. Second half blew me away, though. It was awesome. Very enjoyable. ^_^ I thought the extreme loudness and quietness in some parts was a bit unsettling but that's probably just due to awkward MIDI dynamics.

Don't think it's possible to play, though. Which would be a shame if it isn't. But, nevertheless, it's great. ^_^

I didn't really like it. It was incredibly fast and many parts were kind of boring and it was very showy but there wasn't much to it and the main theme wasn't interesting. It sounded like it could be used in a video game. And you have this diminished chord or something that you repeat really loudly like 10 times that sounds just like pounding.

Sorry. Keep trying though, just didn't like this one so much.

I didn't really like it. It was incredibly fast and many parts were kind of boring and it was very showy but there wasn't much to it and the main theme wasn't interesting. It sounded like it could be used in a video game. And you have this diminished chord or something that you repeat really loudly like 10 times that sounds just like pounding.

Sorry. Keep trying though, just didn't like this one so much.

Sure, everyone's entitled to their opinion, but why not advice instead of just saying you didn't like it? :D

Ok I just listened to it twice and heres my opinion

I felt as though the piece was kind of dragging it's feet at the begninning, but when the adante started, man I loved it! I just had one gripe with the adante. As I was listening to it, it all suddenly became quiet, I could barely hear the piano, and as I cranked up the volume, my ears were attacked with an explosion of notes. I think you need to see what's wrong with the dynamics I think it would help alot.

other than that, a well written piece with a nice flow (after the start)

Encore! :thumbsup:

Ok I just listened to it twice and heres my opinion

I felt as though the piece was kind of dragging it's feet at the begninning, but when the adante started, man I loved it! I just had one gripe with the adante. As I was listening to it, it all suddenly became quiet, I could barely hear the piano, and as I cranked up the volume, my ears were attacked with an explosion of notes. I think you need to see what's wrong with the dynamics I think it would help alot.

other than that, a well written piece with a nice flow (after the start)

Encore! :thumbsup:

Thanks, PL :) Mozart 8 doesn't work out dynamics very well...:wacko: oh, and the andante is the second movement, I don't see how you ca n have an explosion of notes there...:P ereyou referring to the Presto Agitato?

Thanks, PL :) Mozart 8 doesn't work out dynamics very well...:laugh: oh, and the andante is the second movement, I don't see how you ca n have an explosion of notes there...;) ereyou referring to the Presto Agitato?

Yes I was, But the thing about the Explosion of notes was merely a joke, I meant it went from really quiet to really loud, really fast. Hey I think PL should be my nickname from now on

Well, I listened to the first movement, and I must say the slow part at the beginning is rather boring, with an uninteresting accompaniment second-rate melody line. The fast part, I must say, is quite funny, musically nothing special but it makes fun listening to. But of course, as others have already said, it's impossible to play.

Greetings

ralph